Land of the Dogs (Book 1)

by S. L. Rowland

  “You think it’s safe to drink?” asked Claire.

  “That’s what Kirk told me. We did it once before we made it to the High School.”

  “Let me go grab a glass and we can pour it into the jug.”

  Full and hydrated, they made their way back down the road. They made better time the second day.

  “We did alright today. Maybe I was wrong. With a little luck, we might be able to make it by tomorrow night,” said Claire.

  Claire had been letting Debra and Cindy sleep in her hammock at night while she rested against a tree. She would keep watch until her eyelids were too heavy to stay open. In the middle of the night, Claire bolted up in alarm when she felt something cold and wet on her cheek.

  “You scared me to death, little guy.” Hope had finally returned. He sat on his haunches and put his paws on Claire, reaching up to lick her cheek. “Where have you been?” He was dirty and smelled. Blood was caked around his muzzle. “Looks like you had quite the adventure, didn’t you? Please don’t leave again.” Claire looked him in the eye and could tell that he understood the meaning, if not the words. He licked her hand and laid down beside her. Claire slept a little more soundly for the remaining few hours, knowing he had returned and would help keep watch.

  Claire was the first to wake. The sun had just started to rise and light spilled over the horizon. The morning air felt cool on her skin. She nudged Debra from beneath the hammock until she woke.

  “We need to get moving. I want to make the Farm by sundown. It’s going to be tough, but if we press hard, we can make it.”

  Debra climbed down and helped to pack up the hammock. “I appreciate what you’re doing,” she said. “I know it’s been hard, and we haven’t said much, but we are very grateful.” She grabbed Claire’s hand and gave a light squeeze.

  They made a slow but steady pace for the next eight hours before Debra spoke again. “Do you really think this will all be worth it? Is my husband’s life worth the life we can give Cindy there?”

  “I don’t know how to answer that, Debra. We had never planned to exchange Kirk’s life for anything. This is a better place we’re going to. You won’t have to worry about watching your back there.”

  Later in the afternoon, dark gray clouds started rolling in. They were all hungry. The only nourishment they’d had was the dog food the day before. Their water was running low again; they had conserved it as best they could, but the physical exertion required that they drink or risk dehydration.

  “It’s going to rain,” said Debra, looking up at the clouds.

  “We need to hurry then. We’re only a couple of hours away,” said Claire.

  Thirty minutes later, the heavens opened and rain poured down. Hard and heavy rain pelted them. The rain came down quicker than the earth could absorb it, making giant puddles all around. Their clothes were soaked within a few seconds and the road ahead became a blur as their entire world was engulfed in gray. Hope trotted along up ahead, the rain rinsing the blood and dirt from his coat.

  Through the rain and thunder, they persisted, one step at a time. A few hours later, they arrived at the Farm, soaking wet and tired to the core. David waited at the end of the driveway with a carriage.

  “We spotted you up the road. I thought you might want a ride to the house,” he said. His beard was soaked, but he wore rain gear, keeping his body dry. “Where is Simon?”

  Claire ran and gave him a hug. “He’s off on his own. Can you take us inside? We’re soaked to the bone.”

  David helped them into the carriage and then took off towards the house. Halfway down the driveway, the carriage stopped moving. The horses neighed as they tried to pull, but the mud was too thick and they couldn’t garner any traction.

  “Dammit, we’ll have to leave it here,” said David. He unleashed the horses and they took off towards the barn. He picked up Cindy, and together with Claire and Debra, they trudged through the mud and rain to the house. When they reached the porch, they were all covered in mud up to their knees. “I’ve never seen it this bad. Take off your shoes and let’s get you warmed up inside.”

  Inside, a woman waited by the door with towels. She was an older lady. Claire remembered her sitting on the porch knitting the first time she and Simon were there.

  “Let’s get you out of those wet clothes, ladies,” she said, her voice was old and gravelly, but full of kindness. “And dry off that dog.” She wore a gown that fell down to her ankles. An old wicker basket sat beside her for them to put their wet clothes in. She picked up the basket and started towards the stairs. “Follow me upstairs. We have clothes you can wear until those are washed and dried.”

  The hallway upstairs was lit with candles. Pictures of Old Man River and his ancestors hung along the wall. The flicker from the flames almost made them seem lifelike. The old lady showed them to a room with two twin beds, covered with handmade quilts. On the nearside wall, next to the door, stood a large dresser.

  “There’s all kinds of sizes, even for the little one. Pick out what you want and then put your wet clothes in this here basket. We’ll be downstairs when you’re done.” She left them alone.

  “What do you think?” asked Claire, hoping that Debra could feel the difference already.

  “It seems nice. Nice. That’s a word I haven’t had much use for lately,” said Debra. “Do you like this?” She held up a brown and red plaid shirt.

  “Looks great. Put it on,” said Claire. Debra put the shirt on. “Yeah. That looks good on you.” Debra found a pair of jeans as well.

  Claire decided on a yellow tank top and a pair of khakis. Cindy found a long-sleeve pink shirt, but had to settle for a pair of boy’s jeans because they were the only ones that fit.

  David was setting up cots for them in the living room when they came back down. Thunder struck, rattling the house. Cindy clung to her mother’s leg.

  “How are you doing, little one?” David said to Cindy. She didn’t respond, only gripping her mother’s leg tighter.

  “She’s had a rough few days,” said Debra, “We haven’t eaten since yesterday. Could you spare some food?”

  “Say no more. Let me go grab you a few things.” He went to the kitchen and came back with fruits, bread, leftover chicken, and milk. “It might be a little cold, but it should do the trick.”

  They ate voraciously. David continued making their beds while they finished up the last of the food.

  “That was amazing,” said Debra. “Thank you so much.” Cindy let out a yawn.

  “I’m sure she’s tired. If you want to put her to bed, we can talk in the kitchen when you’re done.”

  “Okay, just give me a few minutes. Thanks for your kindness,” said Debra.

  “Don’t mention it.”

  A few minutes later, Debra joined Claire and David in the kitchen.

  “I’m Debra, probably should have said that sooner. Nice to meet you.”

  “David. Nice to meet you as well. That’s a cute kid you have there. Claire told me what happened to your husband. I’m sorry for your loss. Those guys at the High School have gotten out of hand. It might be near time we cut ties.”

  “What do you think would happen if you did that?” asked Claire. “Justice wouldn’t just let it happen. It would look bad for any other deals he has made.”

  “You’re right, but I’m pretty sure we could hold our own.” David’s jaw was set, like he wanted to say more, but couldn’t.

  “Maybe by daylight. But you have no barbed fences or high walls. He could send people in here during the night and burn this place to the ground while you’re sleeping.”

  “There is a lot you don’t know about this place, Claire. We’ve made it this long without high walls and gun towers. You think that is just coincidence? Or do you think the reason no one messes with us is because we give them food?” David looked her in the eye. When she said nothing, he continued. “We give them food because it is God’s way. But remember this, we are men. And we do what we must to surviv
e.” David had a hint of maleficence in his eyes. It was a side of him that Claire had not seen before. Somehow it comforted her more than anything. “Are you looking for a place to stay, Debra?” he asked, his voice calm again.

  “We are.”

  “Then we will help you. I’m sure we can find work for you here and get you and your daughter set up with a room tomorrow sometime.”

  “Thank you. That would be wonderful,” she said.

  “What about you, Claire? Where is your brother?”

  “I’m just here for a night or two. We had to split up so I could bring these two here, but tomorrow, I’m heading back to Town Hall to meet Simon and see if he’s had any luck,” said Claire.

  “I don’t know if it’s such a great idea to travel alone.” He stood up. “I need to round up those two horses and put them in the barn. Everything is set up for you to go to sleep. If you’re still hungry, there is food in the kitchen. You got the last of the leftovers, but there should be jerky and fruit, and some pickles in the cabinet,” said David.

  “Do you need any help?” asked Claire.

  “Thanks, but I think I’ll be alright. You’ve had a hard few days, so get some sleep. You look like you need it.”

  Debra and Cindy were lost to the world when David returned. Claire had sat at the bottom of the stairs for the past two hours, waiting for him. When he walked in the door and saw her sitting there, he smiled.

  “You’re up late,” he said.

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  “Took me a while to round those guys up. The thunder is spooking them. I don’t think I have ever seen a storm this bad in all my life. In the old days, the power’d be out and we’d all be sitting in the dark. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter so much.” He took off his rain gear and let it hang on the coat rack behind the door.

  “Hey,” said Claire.

  “Yes?”

  “Can I sleep with you tonight?” she asked.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Claire.”

  “I don’t want to get with you. I just…I just need to be held.”

  The smile faded from his face. David could hear the pain in her voice.

  “Come on up then.”

  They walked up the stairs and down the hall to David’s room. He lived in the master bedroom. A desk in one corner overflowed with notes from his sermons. A Bible lay open. Flashes of lightning ignited the room every few minutes. The king size bed was only turned down on half, a giant quilt spread across it.

  David undressed down to his boxers and climbed in bed. Claire couldn’t help but admire his physique and the way each muscle so effortlessly blended into the next. She climbed into bed next to him, fully clothed. David wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

  “This good?” he asked.

  A shudder went through Claire’s body at David’s touch. The nights she spent locked away in Town Hall flooded her memory.

  “What’s wrong? Claire?”

  “I—Back at Town Hall, bad things happened to me,” she whispered. “Every day for months. That’s why my mom and brother were out looking for me. These guys kidnapped me and had me hidden away, right under everyone’s noses. And now I’m not the same. I don’t feel the same. I don’t know if I can ever be intimate with someone again…but I just needed to be held. To feel safe for one moment.” She paused. “It’s hard to sleep anymore. Every sound reminds me of them. And when I sleep, I relive those moments. There is no respite. By day I fear for my life and by night I relive my worst nightmares.”

  David gave her shoulder a squeeze, gently massaging it. “You can stay here. I can make sure nothing like that ever happens to you again,” he said.

  “I can’t do that. I can’t stay here and hide away the rest of my life. I have to go meet up with Simon, and I have to continue to look for my family. I can’t hide from my problems and hope it gets better. Because it never will. I know that, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

  “You’re right. You’re too strong of a woman for that.”

  They lay in silence for hours, unable to sleep and unable to find the right words for how they felt.

  A high-pitched yodel jolted Claire awake.

  “What was that?” asked David.

  “It was Hope. Something is wrong.” Claire raced out of bed and down the hallway, not waiting for David. Hope’s howls filled the air.

  David followed her, still in his boxers. The hallway was dark, the only light coming from the occasional flash of lightning. When they made it downstairs, Hope was at the door, barking and howling with a savage look that Claire knew meant trouble. The hair on his spine pricked and his tail was tucked down. David opened the door to look outside and a hand pressed hard through the door, attempting to enter. David quickly slammed it shut, snapping the arm with such force that it tore in half. Pus ran down the door frame and onto the floor. Claire peeked out the window to the front yard.

  “Oh God, they’re everywhere. At least a dozen of them,” she said. Claire grabbed her spear from where it was propped in the corner. “We need to take them out before they break in.”

  “That’s not the way we do things around here, Claire. I’ll get some of the guys and we will go and try to round them up.”

  “And do what? Where are you going to put them once you have them all? You can’t go burying them in the rain.”

  “We’ll figure something out. Keep an eye on the door while I go wake Travis and Hank.”

  Claire stared at the door while David ran upstairs. The monster outside kept throwing himself against the door, knowing they were inside. Hope never looked away, a permanent snarl on his face.

  A minute later, David returned with two men. One of the men was balding, though he was still young. The other had a long beard similar to David’s. David had put on a pair of jeans and grabbed his rain jacket.

  “Stay here, Claire. We have to run to the barn so we can get the rope to tie them up.”

  “There is no way I am just going to wait here. You need someone to watch your back while you do this stupidity,” she said.

  “Fine, but you don’t kill them unless you have to. Unless there is absolutely no other choice.” He looked to the two men. “Ready, guys?” They nodded in agreement.

  David jerked the door open and charged the man on the porch. He grabbed him by the throat and threw him into the puddled water below. Hope took off after them. The rain poured down hard. Everywhere they stepped, giant puddles filled their shoes with water. Nearly a dozen of the undead roamed through the yard. A few had spotted them and were stumbling over. Hope howled to let Claire know of their approach.

  They made it to the barn and shut themselves inside. Rain pattered loudly on the tin roof.

  “This is going to be tricky,” said David

  Hope was growling at the door.

  “I think I have a plan. Here’s what is going to happen…” He looked them each in the eye to make sure they understood. “I’m going to lasso them. When I pull one to the ground, take the rope and tie their arms and legs behind their backs. That should keep them contained until tomorrow when we can round them all up.” Travis and Hank nodded in agreement. “Claire, just make sure none sneak up on us.”

  David climbed onto one of the horses. It was white with a few red spots. He had a lasso in his hand. Travis and Hank were armed with nothing more than two coils of rope and a knife to cut it with.

  Hank pushed the barn door open and David charged out on his horse. He spotted an undead woman near the barn. The lasso went out and wrapped the woman around the waist, her arms tied to her side. A small tug sent her to the ground. Hank ran up to her and tied a knot around her hands and another around her feet. He lifted the lasso off her body just in time for David to wrangle a man sneaking up behind Hank. Travis was on him in seconds, leaving the man squirming in a pool of rainwater.

  By rotating around the yard, they were able to keep the undead from closing in on them. They had tied up six of them before Claire notic
ed.

  “David!” she yelled. He couldn’t hear her. “David!” she screamed, louder this time.” He turned her way.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “The church. Look towards the church.” His face froze when he saw them.

  There was a stream of undead marching their way.

  “Oh god,” was all he could say. “Go inside.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “Go inside, now!” he ordered. Claire had never seen that kind of panic in him. She took off with Hank and Travis towards the house. David galloped towards the undead.

  It was a few minutes before David made it back to the house. Everyone was awake and downstairs.

  “We’ve got a big problem,” he said. “It’s the graveyard. All the rain has caused the caskets to float up through the mud. The dead have broken out and are coming this way.”

  “What are we going to do?” asked a middle-aged woman. A streak of gray hair went down the right side of her head.

  “We can’t wrangle them. Not this many. And if we stay in here, they’ll force themselves through the window. There is only one option as I see it. I never wanted it to come to this, but we are going to have to stop them or it will be the end of us. I can’t let one of you die because I was too stubborn to protect you. I need everyone to grab your bows and arrows and come back down.”

  It didn’t take long for everyone to return. They all had bows, every one of them. The Mayor was right about that at least.

  “We are going to form a line in the front yard, and as they march on us, we will take them out one by one. Only head shots. That is the only way they will stop. Now follow me.” Hank handed David his bow.

  As they walked out the door, David unleashed an arrow into an undead man across the yard fifty feet away. The arrow stuck between his eyes and he fell to the ground. The group handled the undead in the front yard first and moved to the side of the house. The undead were only a hundred yards away. David’s people formed a line, the women and children in front, on their knees, with the men behind them to shoot over their shoulders.